In the past week, the City’s law enforcement services made 361 arrests, up from 332 in 2022, and issued 72 465 fines for various offences. Drunk driving arrests fell slightly, from 89 during the Easter week of 2022 to 80 this year.
Also read: JP Smith commends CT law enforcement agencies for protecting motorists
‘What’s positive is that many of our statistical indicators are reliant on proactive enforcement, so the increase in arrests week-on-week, but also compared to the week of Easter last year, speaks to the efforts of our staff when many of us were enjoying some downtime,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.
‘Over the long weekend specifically, our emergency call takers recorded an increase in assault cases, as well as motor vehicle accidents and noise complaints, compared to Easter last year. Add to that the drunk driving arrests, and a clearer picture starts emerging.’
Alderman Smith explained that the Easter holiday is critical from an enforcement standpoint, and he expressed gratitude to those members of the public who took the safety first message to heart.
‘So often we focus on the actions of the lawbreakers, but we also need to pause and applaud those who respect the law and make our jobs easier,’ he said.
Cape Town Traffic Officers arrested 84 people, including 67 for driving under the influence, five for reckless and negligent driving, and 12 for a variety of offences such as possession of a stolen vehicle, false documentation and assaulting an officer.
On Sunday, 9 April, officers arrested the driver of a light delivery vehicle who was found in possession of 10.4 kilos of dagga during a roadblock on the N7.
A total of 63 765 offences were documented; 231 public transportation vehicles were impounded, and 451 arrest warrants were served.
Their counterparts in law enforcement made 212 arrests and issued 3 572 fines in the previous week, while Metro Police officers made 65 arrests, including 13 for driving under the influence of alcohol, and issued 5 128 fines.
During the Easter week of 2022, law enforcement made 332 arrests and issued 104 981 fines.
Emergency services
The City’s public emergency communication centre recorded 2 294 incidents over the Easter long weekend, up from 2 012 during the corresponding period last year.
Among the calls received were 211 incidents of assault, 33 domestic violence cases, 54 motor vehicle accidents and 21 pedestrian-vehicle accidents.
By comparison, in 2022, the staff recorded 159 assaults, 37 domestic violence incidents, 37 motor vehicle accidents and 24 pedestrian-vehicle accidents.
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Picture: South African Police Service / Facebook